Coronavirus travel advice: Is it safer to stay in a vacation rental instead of a hotel room?

03/07/2020 | by Rosette | Vacation Rentals

Due to the coronavirus, the travel industry is taking many precautions for everyone’s health and safety. Indeed, health and safety should always be at the top of the list when traveling, but now more so than ever. When visiting Santa Barbara and other cities we offer, you might want to consider skipping the busy hotel brimming with tourists from around the globe and instead choose to stay in a vacation rental, which offers a more controlled environment with your own kitchen, more privacy and more natural surroundings. Here are 3 reasons why it could be safer to stay in a vacation rental instead of a hotel room during novel coronavirus COVID-19.

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1) Your own kitchen in a vacation rental means more control over what you’re eating.

safer stay vacation rental than hotel

Hotel room service and hotel buffets can be a risk. If you’re staying in a hotel room, you are much more likely to order room service or eat out more, thus potentially raising your risk. Local restaurants have taken added precautions to protect patrons per the FDA and CDC guidelines.

Sure, you’ll have an endless number of restaurants to choose from in Santa Barbara and other cities, should you opt to eat out. But the benefits of being able to cook alternative meals or snacks in your own kitchen could prove especially helpful during these times.

Revel in the opportunity to clean and stock your own private kitchen in a vacation rental, as you know exactly what is going into your meal and how it’s prepared. Everything is within your control. As well, all of our properties always  get a “deep clean” treatment including bleaching of all surfaces, handles and doorknobs to protect guests from any virus.

2) Hotel beds and carpets can attract germs and bacteria

Did you know that while hotel housekeeping vacuum and change the sheets after every stay, most hotels don’t regularly launder the outer comforter? And aside from potentially dirty comforters and worn out carpets dating back to the 1980s, public hotel areas can encourage germs and bacteria. When you consider the sheer volume of guests filtering through hotel rooms year after year, a vacation rental with owners and repeat guests staying in them most of the year is a better situation.

Vacation rentals handle much less volume, and most do not share common areas with other properties. That means less chance for coming into contact with people when you don’t want to. In a vacation rental, you’re not likely to find outdated carpets and almost all of our properties have hard surface flooring that is constantly disinfected. All bedding is  bleached and laundered by cleaning services experienced in serving vacation rentals, and most properties also have on-site laundry machines for your own use. Why not stay at a vacation rental  just walking distance from one of  many great local beaches or even some of  Santa Barbara’s famous beaches?

3) The air quality is better in your vacation rental than in a hotel room

In a most vacation rentals,  you are not sharing air ducts or common space like you do in a large hotel. You can control the air quality in your own vacation rental. If you like fresh air, open the windows and the door to let in a nice breeze. Feel free to sit out on the patio, yard or balcony and enjoy open, yet private, outdoor space and air in many of these properties.



Keep your health and safety in your own hands and minimize vulnerability to outside factors by considering a vacation rental for your next trip. When traveling to Santa Barbara and other cities, choosing to stay at a vacation rental instead of a hotel room gives you more control over cleanliness, privacy, air quality and overall health and safety.  No one wants to forego vacation season and quarantine at home.  Being smart and safe is the best way to travel and still enjoy your planned vaaction or upcoming plans to book!  We are here to offer support along the way.

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